Musings From The Road

I'm back today after a week-long Florida trip with my family. While I was away, I had a chance to ponder a few things about health, kids and body image. Here's what I discovered:

Sometimes, eating healthy requires real effort. We stayed outside Disney World in a suite equipped with a full kitchen, which meant we were able to start each day with a healthy breakfast. Once we left to go to the parks, though, healthy eating was more challenging. For one thing, the Disney experience is so expensive that there was no way we were going to break to go back to our hotel for meals during the day (we'd lose too much time and miss out on too much). Our choices most days? Burgers, fries, chicken tenders...you get the picture. I discovered that you can make special orders even in Disney fast-food restaurants (salads with no dressings, sandwiches with no mayo, etc.), but the downside is a longer wait while the staff makes something fresh for you. After being home for a few days and eating the healthier diet we typically eat at home, it's amazing how much better I feel and how much more energy I have.

Caffeine is a real addiction. I'm a coffee drinker, but I hated the coffee served at our hotel's coffee bar. That meant waiting until mid-morning for coffee most days. The result? A pounding headache and a general crankiness that wasn't pretty. My body adjusted after a couple of days, but the whole experience was fuel to finally end a debate that's been ongoing in our house. My 13-year-old daughter has been begging me to let her drink coffee. I've resisted and now I'm glad I have. In fact, when I asked my Shape dietitian, Melissa Kirdzik, about kids and caffeine, here's what she said: Too many children are spending their waking hours hyped up on caffeinated beverages like sodas and energy drinks, and not getting nearly the amount or quality of sleep they require. Children are even more sensitive to caffeine than adults, yet they are drinking multiple sodas during the day and with meals. I encourage parents to monitor and limit caffeine intake, and to promote adequate sleep so that children can feel and perform their best during the day. According to a news item on www.cincinnatichildrens.org, children ages four to six should consume no more than 45 milligrams (mg) a day, about one 12-ounce caffeinated soft drink. For children seven to nine, keep caffeine under 62.5 mg a day. Older children 10-12 can handle more, about 85 mg, which is still less than the 135 mg in one cup of coffee. Sorry, Faith...no coffee!

People really do come in all shapes and sizes. There's nothing like spending a few days immersed in the mass of humanity that congregates in Disney World to prove that the old saying is true. Seeing so many "average" people in one place is a great reminder that most people don't look like supermodels or celebrities -- something we forget sometimes in our day-to-day lives.

It's good to unplug. This week was the first time I've been away from my computer for an extended period in years. Sure, I missed some emails that I wish I'd had a chance to respond to (If you're one of those people, sorry I missed you!), but overall, the world didn't come crashing down as I feared it might. Much like my coffee addiction, I was out of sorts and a little cranky for the first couple of days as I fretted about missing emails. But then I adjusted -- and enjoyed focusing solely on my family.

Time flies...really. We had a photograph taken the last time we were at Disney seven years ago and this time, we had a chance to have the exact same photo taken again. Seeing the physical differences in my children was both humbling and awe-inspiring -- and a good reminder to cherish these years. They're going by much too quickly.

There you have it...my musings from the road. What did you discover about your self, your health or your body image while I was away?

Comments

[Sagan]

Being on the road is such a learning process. That's great that you managed to cook your own meals and all- one of the nicest things about returning home is being able to fall back on the foods you know and love, I think!

I'm glad I've never gotten into the coffee thing. But I think I get my fair share of caffeine anyways from the excessive amounts of tea I drink :) Glad you had a great trip.